Rivers of Living Water

Tom Barnard

 

“If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink.

For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.”

(John 7:38 NLT)

 

“Wherever the son of God goes, the winds of God are blowing, the streams

of living water are flowing, and the sun of God is smiling.”

Helmut Thielicke

 

I love the story of the woman at the well, found in John’s gospel, chapter 4. The setting was Samaria, the territory populated in Jesus’ day by the descendants of a mingled race of people who were part Jewish, part something else. They called themselves Samaritans, after the name given to the northern tribes of Israel by their seventh king, Omri. The Samaritans were eventually subdued by the army of Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, and the remnant of the Jews who were allowed to remain in the land eventually intermarried with pagan tribes and in time became idolatrous themselves.

 

By the time Jesus was born there was outright hatred between the inhabitants of the two areas of Palestine. As his popularity grew, Jesus traveled back and forth from Judea in the south to Galilee in the north—teaching, preaching, and healing. One of those trips led him through Samaria and the village of Sychar. There he met a Samaritan woman at the well outside the village. He asked her for a drink of water. He had no way to draw it up himself from the depths of the well, but she did. She was abrupt; Jesus was engaging. Something had to give, and it did.

 

Their conversation was epic. She pointed out to him that the well was deep and he had no bucket. There was no reason for them to be having this conversation—“Jews have no dealings with Samaritans,” she said. He offered her something far more important than water from the ancient well. He said, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask, and I would give you living water.”

 

What he offered her was “living water of the soul” that would lead to eternal life. She didn’t understand the full meaning of the offer, but she knew “fantastic” when she heard it. Her life was changed forever. The spiritual thirst of her soul was quenched. No longer did she have to draw water from a public well. Now she had a river running through her spirit.

 

Like the woman at the well, we all are thirsty for spiritual reality that is pure, never-ending, and eternal. What Jesus offered to the woman, he offers to you and me. Accept it today. It will change your life.

 

“Lord.” How I love to call you that! No one else deserves to be called Lord. It is easy to say “Lord” because of who you are and what you bring to my life. Without you, I would be like the woman at the well—hopeless, discouraged, lonely, guilty. Because of you, I have a spiritual river flowing through my soul. Guilt is gone; the future is bright; the companionship is matchless. I thank you. I come to you today with no requests—just with praise in my heart for your matchless grace. Amen.